Winter is coming for Xavier basketball. The Musketeers have suffered bad losses before, but this recent defeat felt different—more painful and more telling.
Just under two years ago, UConn hammered Xavier by 43 points. Going further back, Xavier endured a crushing loss to La Salle in 2001 under Skip Prosser. Yet Wednesday night’s game, a 19-point loss to Santa Clara, hardly seemed as close as the score indicated.
Coming into the season, expectations were mixed. Some believed Xavier could finish in the top six of the Big East, while others (including our preseason podcast) pegged them around seventh or eighth. At this point, even that might have been optimistic. After struggling against two low-major programs and getting thoroughly outplayed by a mid-major, Xavier currently looks more like a DePaul-level team than a contender.
The numbers from this game tell the story in vivid detail. Santa Clara racked up 832 offensive rebounds while the game was still competitive—a staggering figure. Meanwhile, the Xavier players outside of Roddie Anderson and Tre Carroll combined for a measly 18 points, 18 rebounds, and 12 assists over 129 minutes of play. That stat line would be acceptable for one player but is horrendous across eight players who took 5-of-28 shooting.
Malik Messina Moore, who had shown some promise earlier in the season, didn’t score a point on any shot attempts. Jovan Milicevic managed just one point on 0-for-7 shooting, and All Wright also failed to score on 0-for-6 shooting. Outside of their two top performers, Xavier was almost incomprehensibly bad.
Defensive lapses compounded the problem. The Musketeers, who under Rick Pitino have been known for stifling defensive pressure, failed to impose themselves. Santa Clara torched them from behind the arc early, then exploited the interior, shooting an impressive 59% inside the arc. By contrast, Xavier shot just 37% inside and only 5-of-18 from three-point range. There’s no way to spin this game other than what it was: a complete beatdown.
Xavier now ranks 107th in KenPom’s efficiency ratings. The last time they were this low was January 12th, 2013—over 4,600 days ago. That day, Brad Redford was the MVP in a win over George Washington. Players like Landen Amos and Erik Stenger were key contributors. That 2013 team was stuck in a brutal transitional period between the Tu Holloway era and the emergence of the modern Big East.
Fast forward to today, and that history looms large. On September 8th, 2038—4,685 days from now—we will know how this chapter of Xavier basketball unfolds.
Back in 2013, a young Chris Mack was laying the groundwork for a program revival. Within a year, Xavier returned to the NCAA tournament, and two years later reached the Sweet 16. Perhaps the current struggles are part of a similar rebuilding phase.
Looking ahead, upcoming road games won’t offer much solace. A trip to Iowa looms, and it’s already shaping up to be a daunting test. Old Dominion awaits after that. Usually, there’s a narrative thread to explain a game’s outcome. This loss? There isn’t one. Xavier didn’t lose because of a single factor—they lost because everything went wrong.
Individually, there were a few bright spots. Roddie Anderson (29 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) continues to energize the team and inspire fans. Tre Carroll (21 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists) remains a reliable focal point on offense. Filip Borovicanin may have shown signs of progress as well.
But make no mistake: a long, cold winter lies ahead for Xavier basketball. The warnings were there. Now, the reality is here. Brace yourselves, Musketeer fans—this season is not going to be pretty.
https://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2025recaps/11777/santa-clara-87-68-xavier-a-confirmation